She’s beautiful. She’s environmentally conscious. And she has her own organic makeup line. Joise Maran!
Josie is a model/actress who recently launched her own line of organic makeup with biodegradable packaging. (The packaging is made from corn, and dissolves into dust 30 days after touching soil. How cool is that?) She models and wears her line on a daily basis, and swears by it! She has been personally perfecting the formula for the past three years by testing each product herself.
“I want to contribute to making positive change, and I also want to create something fun, beautiful, and luxurious,” Josie says. “My dream is to build a brand with so much influence and popularity that my customers and I can work together to make the world a better place.” -J.M.
Above is a photo of Josie’s Earth Day Essentials Kit, which retails on her website for $48. This seems like a steal for all you are getting! This kit also comes with a brochure written by Josie with fun “green” tips.
“I want to prove that a cosmetics company doesn’t have to sacrifice luxury and performance in order to create products that are kind to the natural and social environment. And if we make the world– not to mention women’s cheeks and lips– a little rosier while we’re at it, even better.” -J.M.
If you haven’t already seen Josie all over magazine covers and billboards, you no doubt will soon. She’s a proud mother, a beautiful model and actress, and a green entrepreneur. Definitely a celebrity to look up to.
Here’s a video of Josie teaching you how to achieve the “sexy pose”. Isn’t she adorable? And the makeup is gorgeous!
I was suckered into (well, I was asking for it) buying the U.D. Eyeshadow Primer Potion. “If you don’t own this product then you are crazy” is what they say. So, because I didn’t want to be crazy, I decided to try it out. My reasoning behind this purchase was because I had been thinking that my eye makeup just did not have the “staying” power that I wanted it to. As much as I love applying makeup in the mornings, I tend to hate touch-ups during the day. So I thought that if I upgraded my eyeshadows and liners to a better brand, then maybe they would be more likely to go on darker and last longer. But with the prospect of this primer potion, I thought that instead of completely re-vamping all of my eye products, this one little genie bottle could grant my wish of making all my eye makeup last for hours. (It lasts for 8 hours to be exact!)
The texture is very velvety with just a hint of shimmer. Just make sure the product has dried before you begin applying your cosmetics. It would even be beautiful to wear on a day you don’t plan on wearing eye product just to give your eye lids a sheer glow!
This item is also 100% vegan and certified cruelty free. =)
I meant to do this blog a little while back, but here we go.
In light of my new job at Ann Taylor LOFT, I wanted to post a few of my favorite looks from the store. I have never been much of a LOFT shopper, so I figured that this would be a place hwere I wouldn’t have to worry about spending my whole paycheck. But wow, they have such a wide collection of clothing, it’s hard NOT to find something you like. There is an outfit for everyone in this store.
So here are a few must-haves for this season:
You can shop for these items in any Ann Taylor LOFT store or online at AnnTaylorLoft.com
Today my friend Brooke and I had a little shopping/makeup tutorial time at Ulta. The beauty consultant applied a Smashbox liquid foundation to Brooke’s entire face – which turned out beautifully – but I really didn’t notice how much of a difference it made until we stepped out of the store and into the sunlight. This foundation did wonders for her complexion and looked flawless.
After this I finally broke down and bought the Photo Finish Light Foundation Primer, (which I have been coveting for months!) after reading the ingredients and learning the product was all natural! The beauty consultant told me that this might be one of the best makeup products on the market to date.
Feeling very inspired, I came home to research online more about what Smashbox has to offer in the “all natural” section of their company. I was shocked. Smashbox offers a WIDE variety of all natural products – enough to create a complete facial makeover.
So here are the key Smashbox products to create a perfect, all natural, canvas:
Smashbox Cosmetics
1) Begin with Photo Finish Light Foundation Primer – I choose the “light” primer because it is oil-free, which is important for a clear complexion. I feel like I have learned so much about this product today. First of all, this primer creates a matte finish that rids your face of lines and darkness to create an even skin tone and a smooth canvas to apply foundation. This will help to make your foundation last all day long. This product is made of 60% water, so it immediately hydrates the skin for a smooth application process as well as illuminates your complexion. I read on Kourtney Kardashian’s blog that she has used this primer every single day to make her makeup last since a makeup artist showed it to her before a photoshoot. All of the Kardashian sisters have gorgeous makeup, now we know their secret!
Smashbox Photo Finsh Light Foundation Primer
2) Now apply High Definition Healthy FX Foundation. This foundation is packed with healthy goodness for your skin that will help to create a flawless look from the inside out. And think of this “High Definition” makeup the same way that you would think about a high-def television. When you are watching a high definition movie, the colors are more vivid and visually magnified. The picture is clear, crisp, and fresh – this will be the finish of your face. It was developed for people who are constantly behind the camera, so you know that you will always look great on film and in person. A new foundation application trick that I learned today is to take a foundation brush and swipe the color in two to three stripes across the cheeks, forehead, and chin. Then use sponges to dab and blend the foundation together and outward from the center of the face.
Smashbox High Definition Healty FX Foundation
3) Dab on O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color. This blush takes the guess work out of finding your perfect shade. I was quite amazed watching the makeup tutorials online using this blush. It is created to find the pH levels in your skin and adapt to a color that would make your cheeks look perfectly and naturally flushed. I literally watched the blush turn different colors as the makeup artist applied it to different model’s skin. The key to applying is starting with a dab in the center of the cheek and slowly making circles outward to blend into the rest of the cheek bone.
Smashbox O-Glow Intuitive Cheek Color
4) Next, apply a few coats of Smashbox Bionic Mascara. This mascara was developed to give you the illusion of false eyelashes without all the hassle. It will leave you with longer, stronger, and more voluminous lashes. It is also waterproof which guarantees long lasting wear in the summer heat. An expert tip that I learned with this mascara is after appling a few coats upward and outward, turn the brush vertically and dab the outer lashes. The tip of the mascara wand is usually were the product likes to sit, so this way your are coating the outer lashes with the most mascara for a wider, cat-eye look.
Smashbox Bionic Mascara
5) Last but not least, finish with a swipe of O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss. As you can probably tell, the same rule applies to this gloss as the cheek color. This clear gloss finds the natural pigments of your lip color and turns to a shade that suits you best. This lip color will be completely yours and yours alone! An important tip that celebrity makeup artists love to give is that your cheek color should always compliment your lip color. With these two O-Glow and O-Gloss products, you are guaranteed to have complimentary colors to your skin tone and each other.
Smashbox O-Gloss Intuitive Lip Gloss
You can purchase Smashbox cosmetics in Ulta, Sephora, or on Smashbox.com
Until now, I haven’t been too excited about organic fashion. Last year while working in a boutique, any time we would get any clothing that was certified organic cotton, it would be incredibly over-priced and very simply designed. I’ve been waiting for this to change – to be able to buy truly fashionable items that are eco-savvy and still do not make a huge dent in your wallet.
Well today, I have found that line. People Tree designs garments that are handmade by people around the world which helps to create jobs in developing countries. These people who work leave the smallest carbon footprints of almost any others in the world – they live in small communities where there is no electricity, buy from local food stands that lowers the impact of transportation, and use hand production as their means of income.
People Tree is always looking for designs that will help to create work for those who need it. For example, designers might add a bit of embroidery to a top that will help the business for a small family in India who specializes in embroidery. They also greatly utilize the art of hand-woven crafts (which is a specialty in Bangledesh) and hand screen printing. Because guess what? Although these workers create little to no carbon footprint on their own, they still suffer the consequences of our actions in the West. Global warming does not only effect those countries in which release loads of carbon, it effects the entire planet. We are causing other people to suffer because of our mainstream consumerism – and to me, that’s just sad. People from all over the world are coming together to create this line for us- so that maybe we can begin to decrease our carbon footprint as well.
The design process begins a year in advance so that each worker can have plenty of employment time and is never over-worked. (Which is very unheard of, in the fast paced world of fashion!) So this brand is always having to think ahead on upcoming fashion trends and styles. On top of this, all means of production are ecologically sound. Organic cotton is grown, clothes are dyed using safe and natural dyes, and recycled products are chosen over synthetic ones. If there is a “green” way to do something, this is the way they are doing it.
Here are a few fabulous finds from PeopleTree.co.uk:
Affordable organic cotton that you can pick up in your neighborhood mall.
Victoria’s Secret just launched a new line of organic cotton camisoles, pajama pants, thongs, panties, tees, tanks, and…rompers! The brand as a whole is trying to make the right step in being more environmentally conscious. This past December the company made an agreement to use eco-alternative practices for their mass mailing business, and also recently released a line of organic, 100% vegan, eco-friendly body products. The line of organic loungewear hasn’t hit stores yet, but you can go ahead and order them (as well as the beauty products!) online at victoriassecret.com
Rompers are definitely a HUGE fashion trend this season, but I can’t make myself break down and buy one. I think they are adorable – but will this trend last long enough to get some wear out of it? I can’t decide… I usually don’t buy too trendy of things because once they go out of style then it’s just something to take up room in your closet. But I love looking at them in stores and online…maybe I should just break down and get one. For the sake of summer fashion, you know?
Here are a few from Urban Outfitters, Roxy, and ModCloth that I found:
People Tree is always looking for designs that will help to create work for those who need it. For example, designers might add a bit of embroidery to a top that will help the business for a small family in India who specializes in embroidery. They also greatly utilize the art of hand-woven crafts (which is a specialty in Bangledesh) and hand screen printing. Because guess what? Although these workers create little to no carbon footprint on their own, they still suffer the consequences of our actions in the West. Global warming does not only effect those countries in which release loads of carbon, it effects the entire planet. We are causing other people to suffer because of our mainstream consumerism – and to me, that’s just sad. People from all over the world are coming together to create this line for us- so that maybe we can begin to decrease our carbon footprint as well.
